Coca-Cola launches cans of cold coffee in France
Cold coffee "ready to drink" in a can? This is the new Coca-Cola hopes to drink from the French. Accustomed to swallow their little black zinc, they have already converted to coffee to drink in paper cups with the arrival of Starbucks and other coffee Columbus.
Since this summer, the world leader in soft drinks, combined with specialist Italian Illy coffee, launched its cans of coffee at Daily Monop 'and Monop' (Monoprix). Illy issimo named this new drink is declined "caffe" and "cappuccino". "This drink is not far from the tastes of the French, it's just a new way to drink coffee as was the case some years ago with the iced tea in cans," said Ilaria Presotto, marketing director of Ilko, the joint venture created in 2007 by Coca-Cola and Illy.
With this coffee "ready to drink," Coca-Cola wants to meet new consumer needs.He hopes to reach young and urban assets, on the road, often of tiredness during the day. "This is a premium drink that matches the new lifestyles, says Ilaria Presotto. This is a niche category that did not exist in the French market, so we need to educate consumers and encourage impulse buying. "Suddenly, the price of Illy issimo (2.20 -3 euros) is aligned with RedBull, alongside which he finds himself in the rays in the absence of competitor.
As with VitaminWater, the world leader in soft drinks has chosen a selective distribution. He wants to know Illy issimo by word-of-mouth.He focused primarily on fresh produce stores so that its drinks are lost on the shelf.
Starbucks and PepsiCo in ambush
These cans of coffee, which are now available in 400 outlets in France, were first sold exclusively at Colette, La Grande Grocery of Paris (Le Bon Marché) in several luxury hotels in the capital as the Hotel George V and the Côte d'Azur. "With these first months of launch, we will expand our offering next year and increase the distribution of our products to major retailers, says Ilaria Presotto, currently in talks with Carrefour. We hope to at least double our sales in France in 2012. "In the Hexagon, Illy issimo – which is produced in Denmark – is sold by the sales of Illy. In Barcelona and London where Illy issimo was launched along with Paris, the distribution strategy was the same.In the British capital, the drink is sold in stores in the chain Waitrose premium, in addition to sandwiches. It is also found in company canteens as Disney or head of the Daily Telegraph.
In Europe, Illy and Coca-Cola inspired by the success of Illy issimo Japan and the United States, where the drink was launched two years ago. In Japan, the first market issimo Illy, the coffee is sold in cans hot or cold in the millions of vending machines in the country. The country accounts for 70% of world consumption of coffee "ready to drink." A market of 17 billion dollars which increased by 5% in five years. In the U.S., too, is a high potential market. From year to year, sales have doubled in the country. But Coca-Cola is facing a strong competitor, Starbucks Coffee, combined with another heavyweight soft drinks, PepsiCo.After the United States, China, Britain or Germany, their coffee "ready to drink" Frappuccino will land next year in France.
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